Fairy Tale
by Enide Dear
Summary: The Jenovas are back! AU setting: Jenova rules the land through her chosen sons, exacting cruel dominion of all that lives there. Chocobo knights, 'damsels' in distress, swords, magic, harems and at least one dragon. Not for the faint of heart. Will contain pairings of just about everyone.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Fairy Tale  
Author: Enide Dear  
Pairing: In this chapter implied AngealxGenesis, SephirothxCloud, KadajxReno. Will probably involve more or less everyone at some point.  
Rating: this chapter rather work safe but will turn significantly darker. AU  
Summary: The Jenovas are back! AU setting: Jenova rules the land through her chosen sons, exacting cruel dominion of all that lives there. Chocobo knights, 'damsels' in distress, swords, magic, harems and at least one dragon. Part of a series that might be quite long.  
A/N: Thanks to padawan san and Yllet for encouraging me to continue this fic. I'm still not entirely sure about it, but I hope you will all like it.

"I have three new ones, my Lord." The heavy-boned man shrugged one unmoving body from his shoulder and pulled the ropes circling the other two's necks forward before bowing deeply. "I hope they meet with your satisfaction."

"You are most diligent in your work, Angeal." The smile gracing the Lord was thin and cruel, but indulgent. "I hope you are not wasting our time with another bunch of second rate good this time though. My patience is only so long after all, and I fear my brothers' are even shorter." He stroke a long fingered hand over the silver hair of the young boy sitting cheekily on the arm of the heavy throne, making the boy giggle. There was more than a hint of madness in the sound.

The two other brothers in the Jenova family stood by the sides of the throne, the biggest one yawning where he leaned over the golden back and the other one meticulously picking his already perfect nails, both feigning bored disinterest even though their glanced sought out the prisoners with cruel curiosity time and again.  
The two most beloved by the Goddess Jenova, however, needed no such posing. The eldest and the youngest that shared the throne watched greedily and when they exchanged a few mumbled words, their laughs both had the same insanity ringing through them.

"Not this time, my Lord." Although he kept his eyes humbly averted, Angeal didn't back down from the threat. His own eyes were alight with a desperation that was almost madness unto itself. "I travelled far to find these. They are most fair to look upon." He pulled the ropes of the two prisoners again, forcing them to kneel on the hard marble floor; the shorter youngster with his hair in a shocking disarray fell down almost immediately, gasping with fear. But the red-haired one kicked and spat and snarled like a cat before Angeal managed to wrestle him down with brute force and holding him there.

"Hm. So I see." The eldest rose from his chair, holding back his brothers with a simple flick of a finger. There were no guards in the throne room, although there were a number of more or less frightened witless administrators and noble men, and once their Lord moved, it became obvious why. A fine, absurdly long sword was strapped on to his hip and when he moved it was obvious that he knew how to use it. The four brothers together were a force barely an army could stop and even Angeal, who had long ago sold his honour for love and survived more than one dark adventure on the long road, felt a twinge of unease. This was not an opponent he could ever hope to best.

But the silver haired Lord was not interested in fighting now. Stepping up to the kneeling blonde youngster he grabbed his chin and forced his head up, blue frightened eyes meeting the reptile green that marked the Lord as Jenova's incarnation on Gaia.

The blonde youngster looked like he'd faint or at least soil himself, but somehow he managed to keep eye contact for almost two whole seconds before instinctively starting to thrash. The Lord held him for another second or two - a cat playing with its prey - before smiling and letting him go.

"This one, most certainly. Well done, Angeal. What is his name?"

"Cloud Strife, my lord." Angeal's heart beat faster with a surge of hope. The boy was pretty, but you never knew with the Jenovas, you never knew…

"As for the other…" The silver haired lord turned to the red-head who was still fighting and trashing in Angeal's grip; he pursed his lips and for a second it looked like he would actually spit on the lord. But he must have seen something in the reptile eyes, for he quickly swallowed and looked away. "Pretty, but too unruly. I have no patience with rudeness…"

"Can I have him, brother?" The youngest brother - the only one to ever interrupt the lord and live to tell about it - chimed in. He was sitting with his legs on each side of the throne, dangling them wildly and watching the red-head with cruel amusement.

"Youthful folly." The lord smiled indulgently at his favourite. "As you wish then, but don't come running to me if you break him."

The red-head sneered at the boy, who only smiled back, showing a lot of teeth.

"His name?" The lord was already walking back to his throne, long sword swaying.

"Reno, my lord." Angeal's heart beat fast as a drum; two accepted 'gifts' in one delivery was very good, very good indeed. Even the nobles were mumbling to themselves. Should he push his luck? He had to. "And…and the last one, my lord?" He had to lick his lips nervously as the lord turned around, frowning. He cast a quick glance at the unconscious man, a heavy, big man with faint brown skin and a bald head.

"Dross." Contemptuously, the lord waved a hand in the air. "Unless one of my brothers want him for sparring or playing?"

All three shook their heads, and Angeal's heart slowed down a little. It had been a gamble he hadn't expected to win anyway; Rude was handsome, but the Jenova's preferred pretty. Still, he'd been hanging around Reno and it would be a loss not to try. He had to try. He had to do…anything. And two gifts were good, were very good.

Although nowhere near good enough.

"Take the two gifts to Tseng, he will administer them. You know the way." The lord sat down again, smiling. "And you may choose two new chocobos in the stables and a new weapon if you need it. As long as you keep bringing me gifts like this, I want you to have anything you desire."

Angeal bowed, outwardly for his gratitude but inwardly to hide his rage. *You are already keeping what I mostly desire for yourself.* He took a deep breath.

"My lord….may I…may I see him? Please? It has been almost two years…"

For a second, the whole throne room held their breath, frightened like rabbits and ready to bolt at the slightest movement; their lord was not know to handle demands well. Or to be predictable. Of course, once they saw him move it would be too late to do anything.

"Of course." The lord's eyes were still on the blonde youngster and he waved a hand graciously through the air. "Let Tseng know I gave you a fourth of a bell to meet." Cruel eyes darted to Angeal before again resting on the one named Cloud. "I understand Genesis still keeps that cumbersome sword of yours oiled and polished."

"Thank you, my lord." Angeal managed to rasp as his throat contorted. He bowed again, this time to hide tears.

Tseng's office was beautiful; as far as Angeal had seen all rooms in the palace were beautiful. The Jenovas didn't abide anything else. This was the second time in five years he'd been here to deliver his 'gifts' and the exotic man had let his hair grow, long and lush down his back. Apart from that, all was the same. Tseng greeted him solemnly, took his name and those of the two prisoners and added them to a scroll of pergament that held one name before. Three; a meagre list. A meagre list to sell your soul and honour for, in exchange for foolish, futile hope.

"Seven left." Tseng must have seen his face, because he added. "In only five years. That makes you the best deliverer currently in action, Angeal."

"The best isn't good enough." He stared at the seven empty rows, the exhilaration he'd felt before turning to lead. He couldn't do this…he had to do this.

Tseng hesitated, then gently touched the bigger man's shoulder.

"At least Genesis has someone out there fighting for him. That is more than most in here can say. You two still have hope."

"I brought him some dumb apples." Angeal didn't even know why he said it. The two prisoners stared at him, but he ignored them for now. "Will I be allowed to give them to him?"

Tseng nodded slowly.

"But you won't be alone. I'll be there myself." He rang a bell on the desk and a black haired man with an easy smile stepped in, doing a salute. "Zack, take the new gifts to the top tower room. They can share for now. Fill them in on the rules and report to me later." He took Angeal's shoulder as if to lead him away, but the bigger man turned towards the prisoners.

"I don't expect you to forgive me, but I need you to know. I don't know if love is worth more than honour, but…it is the path I chose. I am sorry this had to happen to you, but I would not to different another time."

Cloud just stared, too wide-eyed with fear perhaps to even understand the words. Reno, at the other hand, spat on the floor.

Angeal just sighed and turned away, letting Tseng lead him to see the man he loved and hadn't seen for almost two years. With a gift of dumb apples and two men sold to slavery

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

"Alright, the first rule here is, don't try to run away. Loz and Yazoo likes to hunt and they will just chase you down and kill you." Zack said cheerfully as he walked up the stairs with the two prisoners in tow. Reno had already tried to bolt three times, but Zack was almost as strong as Angeal. "Here is your room. None too shabby, eh?" He opened a door and led them in to a huge, light and airy room, furniture with a desk, a small table surrounded by plush chairs, an enormous wardrobe and an even bigger bed, spread with green silk sheets. "Bathroom's over there. There's a tub; use it. You stink of road and chocobo. There will be new clothes delivered." He untied them and they rubbed at chafes months old. "You can get some potion for that. I'll fix it."

"What, you gonna play 'good jailor' on us?" Reno snarled, looking around the room suspiciously. "Keeping us all happy until those bastards can come and rape us?"

The comment made Cloud actually jump from where he'd been wide-eyed staring at the sumptuous room, a look of utter terror on his face.

Zack sighed.

"I'm not your jailor. You don't have a jailor. Don't you understand? There is nowhere you can run. This is the Goddess lands. In here she sees everything. And the royal family is connected to her. You can't hide. You can't run. You might as well…you know, do the best of it."

Cloud fell down on his knees on the floor, retching with fear. Concerned, Zack ran over to him, stroking his back and the dirty hair.

"It's not bad," he mumbled, pulling the younger man up in his lap. "I mean, look around. This is a palace. You can go anywhere you want in here, except the temple and the Jenova's private chambers – unless you are called there. But," he added hastily as the blonde's breath sped up again. "There are lots of perks to this life. Lots of them. Great food, no work, exercise and a library and any whims you have are encouraged. Genesis is putting up another drama this year if you want to play. Reeve has his cats and his rather disastrous mechanics. Or you can sword train with me, if you want."

"They let us have weapons?" Reno looked up, suddenly interested, but Zack just gave him a tired look.

"Any weapon you want, sure. Please don't do anything foolish. You won't stand a chance."

"And how do *you* know?" Walking around the room slowly, Reno glanced out the window. At least 200 feet down. Damn.

"Because I don't have a chance." Zack said frankly, still holding Cloud. "And I am much better than you are."

"Huh." Ignoring the answer, Reno started to help himself hungrily to a plate of ripe fruit. "So we're just supposed to be all happy about this? Because no way am I just gonna smile happily and bend over when the little psycho comes for me."

"His name is Kadaj," Zack's voice got very quiet. "And don't upset him. Loz and Yazoo likes to hunt, but Kadaj…Kadaj likes to play. And his games are very cruel."

"That's your advice, huh? Just give up. That's it?" Reno slumped in a chair, staring out the window. "Fuck that."

"There are ways out that don't involve dying, you know." A bit tartly, Zack added. "If you would have just shut up for a second or two, I would have gotten to them without you upsetting Cloud like this."

Reno made a rude gesture, but didn't say anything.

"You could have a champion, for one thing. See," he added when he saw the frown, "the Goddess Jenova is apparently a romantic soul…in a way. Everyone brought here as a gift can be freed by a champion. One who delivers ten new accepted gifts to the royal family."

"So that's why we're here. 'Cause that fucktard Angeal though it a nice idea to sell us for someone else?"

"Don't blame him too hard." Zack glanced away. "He loves Genesis. He could not bear…doing nothing. And he's got three gifts in five years. That's very good."

"Who was the first?" Reno popped another grape in his mouth.

"Me." Zack smiled faintly. "I've come to…not blame him. In time."

"Three in five years." Reno frowned. "Anyone ever managed ten?"

"There is a legend." Zack paused a little. "Maybe more than a legend. Of the Valenwinds. They say Cid Highwind flew all over the world, on his great dragon, to find gifts that would set his Vincent free. And that he succeeded."

"And how long did that take?"

"Thirty years."

"Thirty years?! That's no fucking use!"

But Cloud had been perking up, his body stopped wracking with held back sobs so Zack continued, mostly for his sake.

"It is said that Vincent stopped eating or drinking, that he went into a sleep that lasted all those years until Cid kissed him and he was freed. And that the Jenovas were..shaken by such dedication and they placed him in a coffin and didn't touch him. They're a lot of things, but they are not hemophiliacs."

"Such pleasant slavers and rapists." Sneering again, Reno glared at the dark haired man. "And what else is there?"

Zack shrugged.

"Most people just get used to this lifestyle. Once the Jenovas tire of them – and they do, given long enough time – they stay on as helps, administrators or even kitchen personnel. Or they can just leave, go wherever they want to."

"What about those who won't get chosen as accepted 'gifts'?" It was a casually flung out question, but there was a glance of something in Reno's eyes as he said it. Something that might be…fear.

"They're free to go or stay as well. You see, they're not cruel. Not as such. They're just…"Zack fumbled for words that would make them understand."They're just *different*. You know. Touched by the Goddess. Beautiful and lethal and uh, not quite human I suppose…. "

Reno gave him a long, hard glance. Then he said slowly.

"You're in fucking love with one of them, yo."

Blushing fiercely, Zack stood up, leaving Cloud on the floor and heading for the door with long, angry strides.

"I'll have food and potions sent up. Take a bath and dump your old clothes. If you want to know anything else, ask anyone you meet." He paused by the door for a second. "The lord's name is Sephiroth, but don't use that unless he tells you to."

"Is that what he orders you to shout when he's fucking you?!" Reno screamed angrily but Zack only slammed the door shut after him.

"So, what do you think of my new gifts?" Lord Sephiroth slid gracefully into the hot water of the tub, sighing with contentment.

"Reno is an ass, my lord." The words came out slipped with anger but Zack's hands where gentle as he gathered up the long swirl of hair into a knot on his lord's head. "A complete ass. I don't know what lord Kadaj will see in him."

"Hmf. I never claimed to understand my brothers' tastes." A jade green eye peered up amused at Zack. "Lie Yazoo's fascination with the weird cat man or Loz' latest fling with that girl. I hear those two spar as much as they make love."

"Reeve is a nice man, if a bit quirky." Zack smiled and started to gently scrub the broad back, marveling as always at its perfect proportions. "And Tifa's brewing experiments are going quite well. The last batch had half us gifts and Loz staggering around singing lewd songs about hedgehogs. Even the Goddess must have gotten a laugh out of that."

"If only." The lord sighed a bit but left the subject. "And what about Cloud?"

Grinning, Zack took up the soap.

"Cute face and gorgeous ass. I'd do him, my lord."

That actually made Sephiroth laugh and Zack yelped as a strong arm shot out, pulling him recklessly into the tub, clothes and soap and all.

"Oh, I bet you would, naughty puppy! Do I need to spank you again?" He teased as Zack spit soapy water and grinned cheekily back.

"Aw, why would you do that, my lord? I haven't put any stains on the carpet!" He grabbed a handful of silver hair, moving closer with a fake pout even as clever, nimble fingers worked of his own soaked-through garb.

"You are personally responsible for most of the stains on my carpet!" Sephiroth laughed, but then deadly seriousness flared in his eyes, so quickly that even Zack, who was rather used to the Jenovas' quicksilver temperament by now, recoiled. "Just remember your place, Zackary. And remind the others if need be. No one touches Cloud. He is mine." The smile returned. "I do so look forward to seducing another virgin."

Swallowing fear, bile and a jealousness that was truly *impossible* Zack put up his best wide eyed act.

"Oh, but my lord," he fake-panted with obvious exaggeration. "You should not touch me *there*! It is not right…but oh, it feels so *gooooood*." He cast his head back and moaned dramatically.

"Oh, Zackary!" For the third time that night, the lord Sephiroth burst out laughing. "What would I do without you, hm?" He closed in the smaller man in his arms, pulled him near and nibbled the wet neck.

If Zack answered his embrace with unusual fierceness, the lord thought nothing of it. Love was not really a concept the Jenovas were brought up to understand, after all.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

Reno had expected he'd had to deal with sobbing and crying all afternoon, but the blonde kid pulled himself together fairly quickly after Zack left. 'Kid' was really not the right word - he wasn't that much younger than Reno himself - but so naive and innocent he might as well half his age. Now he dried his tears and nose and glared at Reno.

"Why did you have to do that? He's the only friend we got here."

"He ain't my friend. No one in this fucking place is my friend."

"What about Rude?"

Reno was up and out of the chair before Cloud could react; snarling, the red head grabbed him by the throat and swung him over to the window, leaning precautiously on the windowsill. Cloud gasped and tore at him for purchase, but Reno fended him off, pushing him further down a 200 feet drop.

"See that? Wanna die before you even get the joy of being a toy here? No? Then you don't mention Rude ever again, hear me?" He let go and Cloud fell gasping to the floor, shaking and clutching his throat.

"You are insane!" He spat, glowering and coughing.

"Whatever. Now shut up, I need to think."

Cloud looked like he'd say something, but instead stomped of to the bathroom. Seconds later, the sound of running hot water could be heard and the scent of roses came wafting in. Reno ignored it, sinking back in his chair. Rude wouldn't leave him alone here. Not on some fool's errand to chase down impossible gifts. No, he'd stay around, as a guard or something where they wouldn't have to wait 30 years to see one another. Rude would stay.

He had to hold on to that.

"Zack told us to wash off." Cloud came out about an hour later, grime and blood gone and rubbing himself off with a towel, another hung primly around his waist. Like modesty mattered in here. The blonde gave him a wary glance, but was stubbornly refusing to cower despite the red-heads previous display of violence.

Reno had to stop himself from scratching; he hadn't washed properly in a month or more and his clothes were rotting on him. He had to admit that Cloud smelled a lot better now to.

"I ain't following their orders."

Cloud gave him a tired look that was suddenly not so naive.

"Do you honestly think going against them will earn you anything? It will just make it so much worse."

"Maybe. But I ain't a chickenshit like you. I'll go down fighting."

The blonde just huffed and slammed the closet door open with a bit more force than necessary. His jaw dropped when he saw the beautiful, soft clothes - none of them quite made for him, but still finer than anything he'd ever seen. He was still touching a silk robe reverently when there was a knock at the door and someone entered.

Both men tensed as fear took them, but they relaxed as quickly when a pretty girl carrying a huge tray stepped in. She was small, with curly brown hair and rather sad eyes, but she smiled as she put the tray down on a table. Mouth-watering smell of food came from it.

"I'm Cissney. You must be Reno and Cloud. Zack told me about you." She waved at the tray. "Eat up. You look starving."

Reno gave her a hard glance.

"So, who's bitch are you?"

"Reno!" Cloud gaped in shock.

Cissney looked at him, her face hard but not ashamed.

"I used to be Loz. He got tired of me about a year ago when Tifa came. I'm working the kitchens now." And with that she just slammed the door shut as she left.

"You are an ass." Cloud complained as they started to devour the food. "Why do you have to..." But he never got to finish the sentence as the door was opened – no knocking this time – and three silver haired men stepped in.

Reno got to his feet in a second and bolted for the window but somehow the two eldest Jenovans were faster; they grabbed him by his arms before he could jump.

"In there." Kadaj pointed towards the bathroom, and his brothers started pulling the fighting and kicking Reno towards it.

"Wait, what are you doing?!" Jumping out of his chair, Cloud ran for the bathroom, heart beating with dread. The youngest Jenova didn't seem to mind, green eyes alight with cruel amusement as they darted between his toy and his big brother's.

The bathroom was as big and luxurious as the rest of the room; tiles of soft sand colour laid out on the floor, dark blue tiles on the walls and details of gold scattered about. The bath itself was big enough to cater at least three people and lowered into the floor. It was still filled with warm, rose and vanilla scented water from Cloud's previous use.

Loz and Yazoo had wrestled Reno to the ground, sitting on him to keep him still while they tore the rotting clothes off him, the fabric tearing easily. Reno buckled, kicked and cursed but it was no use; after a sharp nod from Kadaj Loz grabbed his arm and hoisted him into the bath. Scented water splashed all over the room, making Yazoo dive for cover and Kadaj snicker. The Loz stepped into the bath to, grabbing the spluttering Reno once more, dunking him into the water.

Cloud couldn't take his eye off the scene; Loz strong arm didn't budge as Reno thrashed, held under the water. Kadaj was giggling, louder and louder. The youngest Jenova's eyes were glittering with glee and his mouth was half open, panting as if aroused as Reno fought for his life.

"Take him up! He's drowning!" Involountary, Cloud took a step forward.

Kadaj was much, much faster.

Swinging around, he whipped out a strange double sword, using the flat of the blade to push the blonde hard against the wall, his head bouncing on the tiles so hard that stars danced before Cloud's eyes. The short, lean body easily held him back, pressing against his own even as the sword lay across his neck and the cold green eyes glittered.

"You…can't hurt me." Cloud gasped. "Lord Sephiroth won't let you!" Over Kadaj's shoulder he could see Reno's thrashings getting weaker.

"I can hurt you," Kadaj almost sing-songed, "In ways that will leave no mark." He giggled. "It is not as if *you* are one of Mother's favourites, after all."

"Please." Cloud swallowed. "You are killing Reno."

"He needs to learn to do as he's told. Mother doesn't abide filth." Kadaj shrugged, but in the water even Loz was starting to look troubled now.

"You have to let him breath. Please!" Not even when caught by Angeal had Cloud ever felt so helpless.

"Kaddy…" Loz started, but was brusquely cut off by a savage gesture.

"If I do, what will you do for me?" He asked with a strange, scary little smile. "Will you love me? Will I be your favourite? Will you be mine forever?"

Cloud's head reeled. The boy in front of him was clearly insane. And there was a dangerous light in his eyes, a light that was almost a hunger. Almost a need. Kadaj pressed closer up on him.

"I can give you a kiss." Cloud rasped.

The light died and a wave of sorrow followed it. Kadaj pouted, but nodded.

The youngster's lips were soft and plump, but rather cold. His tongue darted in like a snake's and Cloud, who had had little experience with kissing at all, simply let him, feeling awkward and frightened and strangely as if he missed his one chance to put things right.

"Hm." Kadaj pulled back, letting him go. "Bland and boring. Brother can keep you." He turned away, but not before Cloud saw something glitter in the corner of his eyes. The fingers were white around the hilt of his sword. "Better not kill my own pet just yet, then. Let him breath, Loz."

The big Jenovan quickly pulled up Reno who hung limply from his grip, his eyes rolled back in his head. The lithe body spasmed, and then he threw up water, coughing and gagging as he tried to get air back in his lounges. He was dragged back to the edge of the bath and hung there as Loz climbed up; if Cloud hadn't run over and grabbed him then Reno would have probably slipped back into the water again and drowned for real.

Kadaj sauntered over, crouching down to lift Reno's face up by the hair. His smile was dangerous.

"It is fun to bathe you. I'm going to do it every night you don't take care of it yourself."

Reno's eyes, red shot with lack of oxygen slowly managed to focus on the young Jenovan. With limbs that shook with exhaustion and near death, he very, very slowly made an extremely rude gesture.

Kadaj laughed, pleased.

"See? This is a fun toy!" Leaning over further, he crushed their lips together, harder than he had on Cloud, while Reno fought weakly and ineffectively. "Tastes good to." Kadaj licked his lips as he pulled back. "I will see you tomorrow."

And with that, the three of them were gone. Leaving behind two clean but deadly frightened gifts.


	4. Chapter 4

Reno woke slowly the following morning, to the last sound he'd ever expect; laughter. Cloud was hanging half way out the window, laughing so hard he had tears in his eyes at something that happened in the courtyard. A breakfast tray stood on the table and Reno felt sick to realize he'd slept so hard he'd missed the presence of another person in the room.

Then again, a near drowning experience might have that effect.

Angry with himself he slid out of bed and walked over to Cloud, pushing the shorter man aside.

"The Hell are you laughing at?" He snarled, peering out.

Cloud pointed, still snickering.

A huge, cumbersome *thing*, like a wagon crossbred with a smithy, moved slowly across the courtyard. Someone was sitting on it waving at the many people gathered to gawk at the machine. One of the people down there was a Jenovan – the silver hair was impossible to mistake – but from this distance Reno couldn't see which one.

"I have to see what that is." Cloud grinned hurrying for the door. "I left you some breakfast!" he shouted as he ran for the door.

"Yeah, you do that." Reno shrugged. He wasn't interested in whatever was going on down in the courtyard; he was interested in getting the hell out of here before Kadaj managed to kill him for real. And he'd take Rude with him when he left.

Rolling up some meat and fruit in a piece of delicious new baked bread, Reno downed it without chewing and poured down some fragrant tea after. The juice however was blue. He avoided that. Mulling over his options, Reno nodded to himself. He couldn't get out of here alone, that much was certain, but it was damn difficult to know who he could trust.

Except for one person, of course.

Chewing down some more bread, Reno went to find Genesis.

The great machine moved slowly and spewed out colossal amounts of black smoke, but it did move by itself, without men or chocoboes to pull it. A neat man in a robe and beard waved at the crowd, beaming with pride and Cloud could spot Yazoo clapping his hand with joy. He avoided that part of the yard.

"Another one of Reeve's damn fool inventions." A huge black man in a guard uniform scoffed amiably, nodding at the contraption. "Damn thing eats coal worse than a dragon."

"You know him?" Cloud asked, looking up at the bigger man.

"Yeah. You're one of the new gifts, right?" The man held out his hand; the other hand was sliced off, replaced with welded on crossbow. "I'm Barret. This is my girl, Marlene." He nodded to a little girl in a dress who was laughing herself silly at the machine.

"I'm Cloud." Cloud reached out a hand to take Barret's, but the big man quickly withdrew his.

"You're Cloud? Lord Sephiroth's new favourite?"

"I don't know about that…"

"Word is, he don't want anyone so much as touching you." Barret took a step back. "No offence, but I already have one hand too few."

"Is that…what happened?" Cloud couldn't help but nod at the strange crossbow.

"Yeah." Barret sighed. "Got in a bit of a tousle with Zack. The lord cut of my hand."

"I'm sorry…."

Barret shrugged.

"It was years ago. Reeve there helped me get this on. He's a handy guy…if also a complete insane fool." He mock-shook his flesh hand at Reeve who just waved back, grinning with pride over his machine.

The machine started shaking.

It was a small tremble first, but it grew with lightning speed. Frantically, Reeve pulled at the levers, trying to make it stop but to no avail.

"Shit, it's gonna blow!" Barret screamed, throwing himself over Marlene as everyone screamed and started running. Everyone but Reeve, who was still trying to save his precious invention.

The wagon exploded; burning wood, nails and heavy pieces of metal rained over the courtyard, accompanied by a flash of silver light. Cloud was knocked over by the blast wave but managed to get to his feet, heart racing as he spun around, expecting to see pieces of meat and blood everywhere. There was no way Reeve could have survived….

"Huh." A refined voice said a bit to the right. "I was so certain I had got it right this time. Perhaps I used too much heat again?"

"It would seem so, kitten." An amused dark voice answered.

Cloud spun around. Reeve, a bit singed around the edged but otherwise unharmed, stood a way off, cradled in Yazoo's arms. The inventor looked disappointed at the pile of smoking debris that had been his machine, but not too surprised. The long haired Jenovan looked a bit more concerned, patting his gift as if looking for broken bones and then kissing him deeply.

"This is why you will not try your machines when I am not around." Yazoo scolded, playfully yanking Reeve's beard. He had a remarkably dark and soft voice for someone so feminine. "This is the third one."

"I know." Reeve looked a bit sheepish. "Although in my defence, the second one didn't explode. It just drove straight into a wall."

"How did he…" Cloud gaped at the pair; the Jenovan now chuckling gently and starting to rub off his gift who looked a bit put off at being distracted from his work but not complaining.

"They're fast, boy, real fast." Barret got to his feet as well, Marlene unharmed under him. "*Real* fast."

Cloud wanted to ask more, but his eyes were suddenly drawn to the other side of the courtyard. His and everyone else's, include Yazoo's.

Even in the blazing sun, the Lord Sephiroth seemed to shine with his own cold light. He was pulling on leather gloves and didn't spare them a glance as he strode across the court yard towards the stables. Behind him, Kadaj had to almost run to keep up and Zack was struggling under the weight and cumbersome appearance of a ridiculously long sword. A little boy came running out of the stable with a black chocobo.

"The dragon is a menace and I will abide it no longer." The lord took the sword from Zack and with a practiced motion sheathed it on his hip. "I will return once I have killed it. Kadaj, you are in charge while I am gone." He sat up on the chocobo.

"Take care." Zack grabbed his boot, his open face worried. "It's a dragon. Be careful."

With a cold little smile, Sephiroth leaned down and gave him a kiss. Then he rode out, without a glance back.

Reno didn't know what he'd expect from Genesis; a crying, helpless little waif perhaps, sitting around bemoaning his fate. He most certainly didn't expect to be chucked in the head with a book and get a burning sword pushed into his face as he opened the door to his quarters.

"I have told you a million times no to disturb my private quarters!" The tall man, only slightly less red-headed than Reno, roared as he swung the blade, almost cutting off Reno's rat tail.

"What the fuck?!" Reno screamed and ducked, rolling out of the way. "Are you fucking crazy?!"

Genesis lowered the sword and looked down his nose at the other; he was a handsome man in a red coat, but impatience and annoyance shone in his eyes.

"You are not a Jenovan." He huffed.

"No shit." Reno scrambled to his feet, still pissed. "What the hell is wrong with you?!"

Genesis gave him a disturbingly piercing glance.

"Ah, you are new. Well, whatever insane scheme you are up to, I want nothing to do with it. Now go away and stop bothering me." Stepping inside his room once more, he slammed the door shut behind him.

"Fuck!" Kicking the door with all his frustration, Reno screamed down the corridor. "Fuck you all!"

"You won't sway him." A voice behind him made Reno turn, fists clutching. Tseng was standing by a corner, watching him carefully. In his neat clothes, he looked every bit the proper castellan. "Genesis knows they don't trust him. And he's a dangerous man. The Goddess watches him carefully." He stepped forward. "Which makes him an excellent distraction. Come with me. I want to show you something."

The exotic man walked down the corridor and Reno, still breathing heavily, contemplated just walking the other way. But what would that avail him? Maybe Tseng knew something.

"Everyone fights it when they first get here, Reno. Everyone does it differently. Genesis is just more..flamboyant about it." Tseng led him deeper into the castles. "Everyone fails in the end."

"Fucking rapists…" Reno was not too surprised when Tseng shook his head.

"You don't understand. Once you start looking at them, once they get under your skin….When I was brought here, I fought by passive resistance. I thought if I just lay there like a dead fish, then lord Sephiroth would bore with me quickly." He sighed, a bit raggedly. "As it turned out, once he did grow bored with me, I was the one who wanted more."

"What happened?"

Tseng's smile was weak.

"They touched me until I begged for more. Then they fucked me until I begged them to stop."

_"Beautiful." The voice was dark, cruel, amused. Tseng felt a shiver run down his spine, but ignored it. He was still; a leaf in the storm, a twig in raging waters. Still, not resisting, not fighting the powers that held him. Still. Calm. As relaxed as a dead fish. And, he hoped, about as attractive._

_The bed moved as the silver haired lord sat down next to him, a shimmer of silk hair flowing forward to brush against Tseng's naked hip. He shivered again and didn't fight it. The shiver passed over him and away. A leaf in the storm. He didn't close his eyes as Sephiroth leaned forward, to brush their lips together, surprisingly gentle, their collective weight pressing the wutai man deeper into the silky depths of the bed. He didn't fight the kiss either, not even when it got harder, more demanding and hungry._

_This was his only defense, after all._

_Somehow, the lord must have known his intention, for he chuckled slowly._

_"Beautiful, but cold." Long fingers brushed up and down Tseng's sternum, played with the short strands of jet black hair by his neck. For a second, Tseng contemplated the very real possibility that the lord might just kill him. He was undoubtly strong enough for it, which was clear now that he too was naked; his shoulders wide, the smooth chest strong and the hands were the skilled hands of a killer._

_Tseng found himself wetting his lips, not from fear but from darker desires and quickly took control once more. Still. He was still._

_But Sephiroth laughed once more, the motions over Tseng's chest getting more and more demanding. The stillness was shattering._

_Closing his eyes, Tseng tried to focus. This was his secret shame, the secret flaw in a controlled and utterly composed personality; this will to bow to someone stronger._

_No, not will. Need._

_Most people were simply scared away by his cold, some would even say haughty demeanor. He didn't spare them the time of the day; they were not worth it. But those few who wasn't scared, those whose power of will and mind was stronger than his….those he ached to serve._

_But pride wouldn't let him. He'd been brought here as a gift of flesh and he wouldn't serve to that._

_"Look at me." It was an order; instinctively he obeyed._

_Sephiroth leaned over him, a god of decadence and desire, the son of a Goddess, a being of utter power. Tseng's breath caught._

_Sephiroth smiled, cruel laughter in his eyes._

_"You want me."_

_If he didn't say anything it wouldn't be a lie. Tseng lay still, focusing on calming his racing heart._

_"Since you insist on silly games…I will make you beg for it."_

_He moved back and Tseng's hand jerked as it wanted to pull him back. But he managed to control it. Maybe he'd somehow bought himself some time…._

_Three new pale and perfect faces leaned in over him, the same evil and hard sensuality in their motions._

_They fell on him like hungry vampires._

_Tseng's stillness cracked and he gasped out loud as hungry mouths explored his body, searching out hidden spots of pleasure he hadn't even known he had. A wet mouth sucked at his fingers, a hot tongue slithered in his ear. Clever, cruel fingers twisted his nipples and smooth skin slid against him everywhere, pressing him into a nest of debauchery._

_And he wanted it so bad._

_They were worthy – more than worthy – excruciatingly so – to be served, he wanted, he needed…But no one touched him where he mostly needed it, even though they touched him everywhere else; licked the backside of his knee, bit the vulnerable skin of his neck, plunged cool, smooth, mint tasting tongues deep, deep into his mouth._

_He groaned and tried to move, an urge to touch and to rub his cock against smooth hard bodies growing like a tidal wave. But two of the Jenovas held his arms down firmly and the third – the youngest – sat on his thighs, drawing his sharp nails over Tseng's loins in a motion that was almost painful. Tseng hissed and buckled, but the youngest only laughed and rode the motion, doing it all over again while his brothers sucked and teased and played._

_And Sephiroth watched, cruelly amused._

_Tseng writhed and panted; he was painfully hard now. The Jenovas showed no mercy and oh how it turned him on, being plundered like this!_

_"Please…" he finally begged, his hips straining upwards uselessly. "Please…fuck me. Please. My lord!"_

_"Hmm." Sephiroth moved forwards over his prone, unfighting body; not still anymore but sweaty and trembling and the other three moved away, but not far. Leaning over his gift like a fallen angel, Sephiroth grabbed his chin, lifting him up a bit to stroke a finger over the kiss-swollen lips. "Fuck you? I think not. I am not your whore." He leaned further down, sparkling eyes only inches from Tseng's. "You are mine."_

_Tseng bowed his head, shame and desire both burning in him._

_"What…would you have my do, my lord?"_

_Sephiroth smiled._

_"Serve my little brothers. With your mouth."_

_He nodded, but couldn't meet the reptile eyes any more. A few remnants of pride refused him to show how much he wanted it._

_There was a brief tussle amongst the younger Jenovan's but the youngest came out the winner, grinning as he pushed Tseng back in the bed and played his hard erection over the exotic face before pressing it between his lips. For a second, Tseng almost thought to rebel again, if only to quell the brutal tendencies, but Kadaj must have seen it. He reached back and teased Tseng's cock with cold fingers._

_"The better you please me, the faster Sephiroth will give you what you need so bad, little whore." He grinned wickedly._

_Tseng blushed, but he couldn't help it; the shameful desire in him was still fanned by this little dictator. He grabbed a hold of firm buttocks to try to have some way of controlling the pace, but the Jenovan was simply too strong; he rode Tseng with no concern but his own pleasure, laughing breathlessly as he came deep in his throat._

_He served the other two next, both of them taking turns to make use of his mouth, to prolong their pleasure and draw out his. Lying next to one another in the big bed, they had him on his belly crawling from on to the other in a small world of strong pale legs and hard cocks. When he finally made them come he felt almost a surge of triumph, but it was short lived._

_Strong hands grabbed his hips, pulling him up. Finally he was once more face to face with Lord Sephiroth and his breath almost caught; the cruel eyes were shining with desire now, strong hands pulling the wutai man up in his lap._

_He was shamefully eager, desperate, crawling up into that embrace, pressing himself against the strong chest and urging to get down, to pierce himself on the hard cock. Sephiroth held his ass for a cruel second, before letting go and pushing up, simultaneously._

_The hard push pierced him almost halfway and he cried out hoarsely, in pain and pleasure. But now it was Sephiroth who urged him on, pushing him deeper and harder, ignoring his gritted teeth and desperate attempts to adjust quickly enough._

_Even the pain was pleasure; he rode as hard as he could, clinging to pale shoulders and even paler hair until he came with almost a sob; a sound that made the Jenovans chuckle and grin. He was pushed down on his back and the pace turned more languid as Sephiroth took his time to enjoy his body._

_When he came, Loz took over. Then Kadaj. When it was Yazoo's turn he was almost begging for mercy but managed to keep quiet._

_After it all, he was exhausted, he was broken and he was utterly, utterly theirs._

_For the next months he slowly intrigued his way to power within the household; gently usurped the previous castellan. He lived to serve; he wanted to serve in any way he could. It would have gone faster if he hadn't spent so much time on his knees, on his back, up against a wall. But he didn't want it any other way._

"They..." Reno blinked, shocked.

"Yes, all of them." Tseng didn't meet his eyes. "Sometimes they share." He glanced over at Reno, and then sighed. "They are like a drug. Once they get into your system you will do anything for them."

"Oh yeah? Well, that little fucker ain't getting anywhere into me!"

"Kadaj is the runt of the litter." Tseng said coldly. "He's not as beautiful as Yazoo, not as strong as Loz, not as...beloved by Mother as Sephiroth and he knows it. It gnaws him constantly and that makes him dangerous."

"See? He's got that. He's the most fucking insane of those fucking psychos!" But something moved uneasily in Reno's belly. He tried to ignore it.

"And thus the most dangerous one. That is why I'm taking you to see his last toy." Tseng opened a door and led him outside, to a small secluded garden. "You need to meet Rufus."

The garden was very quiet, the only thing that could be heard birds and the gentle wind in the flowers. A little fountain glittered in the sunlight.

Across the garden, in the sun, sat a man wrapped head to toe in a white blanket. Tseng approached him almost reverently and bowed.

"Senchan," he said quietly. "I've brought lord Kadaj's new gift as you requested."

The man nodded and a hand moved under the blanket. For a second, Reno saw a weak hand stained black with disease.

"You are Reno? Don't worry, I'm not contagious." Despite the sick appearance the voice was warm with humour. "This is just to save some shreds of my vanity."

Tseng had taken up place next to the man – Rufus – his hands behind his back and his face blank. Like a bodyguard. Reno approached warily.

"So you are Kadaj's new one? He'll be glad that you have met me. He likes people to see what happen if they anger him." Rufus coughed.

"What do you want with me?" Reno didn't want to admit it, but he was shaken. What the Hell had happened to his guy? And could it happen to him to?

"You are looking for someone." Rufus took the blanket from his face; he has a handsome enough face under strawberry-blonde hair, but one blue eye was gone, hidden behind bandages. "We can help you find him?"

"How the Hell do you know about that, yo?!" Panicking, Reno stepped back. Was it true? The Goddess knew *everything*? Even his thoughts?

"You revealed as much in your room. We have spies everywhere. Rude, wasn't it?"

That made Reno relax a fraction. Common spying he could deal with.

"So what if I do? You want me to kill Sephiroth for you or something that stupid?"

"If you could, we would." Rufus smiled. His body might be broken but the sly and clever smile was not. "See this as a gesture of good will. We'll find him for you and you'll do us a favour sometime."

"Wait..."Reno's eyes narrowed. "What is going on here? You are not working for those fucking Jenovans?"

Rufus and Tseng exchanged a look.

"Not even the Goddess can see everywhere at once. There are...free spaces and people like Genesis and Reeve who create enough ruckus to draw her attention." Rufus eyes blazed. "Sometimes, you see, even victims find a way to fight back."

When Reno left, he felt shaken but slightly more optimistic than before. He wasn't all that surprised when he looked back and saw that Tseng was kneeling in front of Rufus, pulling the blanket away and gently opening the pants, nor the look on Rufus face as he did so. Some people needed to serve.

But Reno wasn't one of them.


	5. Chapter 5

Cloud stayed in the courtyard to talk to Barret and a very busty young woman called Tifa while Reeve examined the pieces of his invention. Marlene had run over to the stable boy, Denzel, to play. With the sun shining down and people sitting and talking, it was all very peaceful. Not to mention he had a full stomach and better clothes than he'd ever worn before.

Maybe he could get used to this. Maybe it wasn't so bad.

The courtyard was big and it seemed to be the unofficial meeting place of the palace. After a while Cloud even spotted Reno slinking out from a side door, the red head looking thoughtful but a bit less aggressive. Perhaps he too was coming around, although he studiously avoided looking at where Kadaj and Yazoo stood, talking quietly about something.

A sudden commotion by the great doors drew every ones attention. Unlike when Lord Sephiroth rode out, the heavy gate weren't opened completely, but a smaller door opened, letting in a man with a heavy helmet – visor down to cover his face – who dragged along a young girl of wutainese decent.

Cloud felt a jolt of unease; it was only a day since he had been dragged in here. Was this girl the next gift? She seemed a bit young...But the sudden inhale and quiet across the yard made his belly turn cold; no, this was something much worse.

The man dragged the girl over to the Jenovans and then kneeled, not in front of Kadaj but Yazoo. What was visible of his face was flushed with excitement and eagerness. Cloud was surprised to see Reeve slide up to Yazoo and put a jealous arm around his waist.

"My lord," The man panted. "The thief who defiled the Goddess' temple...I have her now!" From a pouch by his waist he pulled out a red, glowing object and Cloud gasped; he'd never before seen a materia, let alone one this huge.

Yazoo smiled, and for a second he looked as cruel as Kadaj. He purred as he accepted the materia.

"Kunsel. My hero." A long fingered hand caressed the helmet and even from a distance Cloud could see the almost fawning devotion on Kunsel's face. *He loves him. No, he worships him.* Cloud shuddered. Was this what happened to people here? "Very well done. I knew it was the right decision to make you head of security. I will return this to the altar at once."

With that he turned around and left, taking Reeve and the materia with him.

Cloud could almost hear Kunsel's heart breaking and had to turn away when the man stumbled away, tears of rejection falling down behind the helmet.

Kadaj was left alone in a circle with the girl-thief. He prodded her in the ribs with his boots and she got to her feet, eyes glowing with anger.

"It wasn't me! I never stole that stupid thing!" She shouted.

"Mother saw you. She sees everything." Kadaj's shrug said clearly that this was all the trial that was needed. "Who are you?"

"I'm Yuffie Kisaragi and I'm the White Rose of Wutai and I..."  
Kadaj's blade flashed and there was silence. The girl's head toppled, a look of astonishment on it as it fell to the ground. Shortly after the body collapsed and a slice of meat the exact thickness of Kadaj's blades' space rolled across the courtyard.

"Wrong. You are dead." Giggling, Kadaj turned to Reno who looked as shocked as the rest. He blew him a kiss and the red-head looked like he'd vomit.

"Holy shit, that guy's Kadaj's new toy?" Barret whispered horrified and as Cloud nodded he quickly got to his feet. "Then I'm getting out of his sight before he decides to kill someone else to impress him!" The big man gathered up Marlene and Denzel and quickly –but not too quickly – hurried from the gruesome scene. People followed his example and the courtyard quickly was emptied.

Kadaj turned to saunter over to Reno, but the red-head bolted. With a pout but no real hurry, Kadaj followed. A few guards showed up to take care of the body, one of them swearing as he tried to find the missing slice of neck.

Cloud felt cold to the bone.

Evening fell and there were still no sign of Lord Sephiroth returning. Zack paced the walls surrounding the castle, straining his eyes to see and occasionally doing a few squats out of pure nervousness. It was ridiculous. There really was nothing that could pose a threat to Sephiroth. Zack worried a nail with his teeth. Not even a dragon. So where was he?

"I brought you some sandwiches. You haven't been down since this morning." A voice said behind him and Zack turned. His worried face broke into a smile as he saw Cloud coming up the stairs. "Cissney made them though, not me. And she put some ale in there to." The shorter man handed over a small basket.

Zack hadn't realised he was so hungry, but he devoured the food like a starved beast. Cloud leaned against the wall, looking out over the plains.

"No sign of him?"

"No." Zack forced down a huge bite of steak and bread with gravy. Cissney knew what she was doing in the kitchen, although this had a kind of new taste to it. "I'm not worried though."  
Cloud smiled at the obvious lie, but then looked down on his hands.

"I hope...you are not angry with me or anything."

"Eh?" Zack scratched his head. "For what?"

"You know." Cloud shrugged. "For like...stealing him away from you."

"Aw, you are too cute!" Cloud squawked with indignation as Zack caught him in a one armed hug and wrestled him down. "Like someone with a hair like a chocoboe's ass could ever do that! Nah, there's plenty of him to go around, you know." He winked as the tousled blonde tried to regain his feet and his dignity.

"Well, you can have all of it as far as I am concerned." Huffing Cloud tried in vain to sort out  
his hair. "It's not like I'm here voluntary."

Zack watched with some amusement as the blonde climbed back down the stairs. Yeah, he was a cute one. It was a damn good thing Kadaj hadn't got his hands on him.

Cloud was about to go back to his room but a strange sound from the chocobostable made him curious. He was allowed to go everywhere except the temple and the private chambers, wasn't he? Still, he didn't want to accidently bump into any of the Jenovans...Curiosity won out and he edged quietly over to the stables and peered in.

Sephiroth was standing in one of the booths, pouring greens into a trough for the black chocobo. Denzel or any other stable boy was nowhere to be seen. The Jenovan lord had his back to the entrance, but Cloud could see the tender way he petted the bird's neck and some mumbled nonsense to calm it. There must be some secret entrance to the castle that Zack didn't know about although it was strange imagining the lord of the castle sneaking in to his own home.

Not until Sephiroth opened the stable and stepped out did Cloud notice he was hurt.

The black leather coat was torn over his left shoulder and as the lord shrugged it off, deep red gashes became apparent through the pale flesh. Blood had run down the back and chest, now clotted and black. With a pained sigh, Sephiroth sat down on a crate and got out a few bandages from a sturdy bag. He cleaned the wounds as best he could, but putting on bandages turned out to be almost impossible; he needed both hands to hold and tie the knots, and he couldn't use his predominate left. The bandages kept falling down and Sephiroth's motions turned more and more stiff and pained.

There was something so utterly vulnerable with the sight of this unstoppable fighter sitting alone in a stable and trying to hide his wounds before he met his people, that Cloud's heart ached.

"Let me help you!" Before he could think things through, he rushed into the stable. Sephiroth jumped and almost drew he sword, but relaxed when he saw who it was. Cloud suddenly felt very awkward as cold reptile eyes slid over him as if judging him. But finally the silver haired lord nodded.

"I seem to require some assistance," he sighed. "Before Zack sees me and throws a fit."

That made Cloud smile a little; yes, Zack would almost get a heart attack if he saw his lover wounded. He stepped up carefully, to look at the gashes in the pale skin; they were deep but didn't look infected. He found some salve in the bag and smeared it on; the skin underneath his hands were so smooth i was almost like porcelain, only warmer to the touch. He blushed a little, letting his eyes roam up and down the strong back and even more as he had to move around to the chest. Sephiroth's long legs were in the way, he had to stand with one foot on each side of a leather clad knee and his fingers shook a little as he inexpertedly pressed the bandages in place and tied them. He was so busy with his work that he didn't notice the hand sliding up his leg, not until it reached his back and slipped under the silk shirt to rest at the very small of his back. Cloud froze.

Green, unreadable eyes looked into his. That perfect face was so close.

With the lightest of pressure, Sephiroth pulled him nearer, closing the few inched between them. His knee went up between Cloud's legs, gently rubbing against balls and ass. The lips that met the blonde's were thinner than Kadaj's had been, but also gentler, more skilled. The tongue darted into to caress over his and Cloud felt himself melt into the embrace, the strong arms, the clever mouth and as the hand moved down to squeeze his ass he had a sudden, dizzy fantasy of being pushed down in the hay, of having the lord loom above him and...

Sephiroth pulled away, leaving Cloud gasping.

"Thank you for your help." He said as he shrugged on his coat again and picket up his bags and sword. Then he left without looking back.

"Lord Sephiroth!" Zack rushed in to the room and half stumbled to his knees in something that might be considered a bow before draping himself over the leather clad legs. "I was worried about you!"

"Don't be a fool." Indulgent, Sephiroth petted the black spikes. "I was in no danger."

"So, how did it go?" Zack grinned up at him.

Sephiroth nodded at him to sit down and eat; the table was sumptuously ladled and Zack was, he knew, constantly hungry. But this time he shook his head and only poured himself a glass of wine.

"No need, Cloud gave me some sandwiches earlier." Then, despite his words, he picked up a chickenleg and started gnawing on it. Sephiroth smiled.

"Yes, he is a tender soul. Came to my rescue as expected." He shrugged. "The most difficult part was maintaining bleeding wounds for that long. I had to stop three times on my way home to reopen them." He shrugged down his new shirt and peeled off the clumsy bandages Cloud had put there. Underneath the skin showed no sign of any wounds, not even a scar.

"And? Was he a good kisser?" Zack grinned, helping himself to some grapes and cheese.

"Not as good as he will get." Sephiroth smirked back, hiding his thoughts. Yes, Cloud had been sweet, but somehow it had not been what he'd expected. The last time he'd seduced someone in the stables this way had been Zack. Cloud had been tender and shy, but Sephiroth had been slightly disappointed none the less. He'd expected something a bit more forceful, playful. Not so hesitant. He frowned as he realized he was disappointed loud had not been Zack. That made no sense. To hide his dilemma, he continued:

"Did anything happen while I was gone?"

Zack's face fell a little.

"Lord Kadaj...executed the thief who had defiled and stolen from the Goddess tempe. Right in the courtyard."

"Good." Sephiroth nodded pleased. Kadaj seldom let him down. "Word must spread that Mother's sanctity is inviolable."  
Zack didn't say much more that evening before Sephiroth took him to bed.  
And in the corner of the room, waiting on the table, Cissney observed everything.

Sephiroth was more passionate than usually that night and they both woke late, lying nestled together for morning kisses and snuggles in comfortable silence for a while. It was Zack that broke it, playing with a lock of long silver hair. His open face had an uncharacteristically thoughtful look on it.

"What is so occupying your mind this morning?" Sephiroth stretched and yawned, comfortable with the heavy warm weight next to him.

"I was just thinking….you take it so slow with Cloud. Like you did with me. But with others…I know Tseng once said when he was drunk that…"

"Tseng was no virgin when I took him to bed. And he tried to play games with me." The green eyes grew dark. "I do not like it when people try to fool me. But you and Cloud…" He smiled. "Oh, you are such sweet things. To treat you like I did him would break you and I have no taste for that. I want to see the wonder in your eyes. I want you to enjoy it." A long fingered hand tickled Zack's side, making him yelp. "I don't' think I've failed in that."

Laughing, Zack shook his head. _You wonder how I could love him, Reno? How can I not?_

"Speaking of that, you could have told me when you returned home last night. I worried for hours on the wall before you let me know you were back!" Playfully, he mock-punched his lord in the ribs, getting a grunt in answer.

Green, cold eyes met his with complete incomprehension. Zack's heart grew cold.

"Why would I do that?" Sephiroth got up, and started dressing.

_Even though he is…alien to compassion._


	6. Chapter 6

Warnings: mentions of kinda non-con, horny teenagers and Jenova  
Summary: Life is so beautiful and free in the Jenovan world…unless you start scraping on the surface.

"This is….this is wonderful." Awestruck, Reeve walked around the huge, airy work room, new shiny tools and strange equipment still in their boxes. "And it is on the first floor - I can just drive my machines out of here! No more carrying parts down the stairs and putting them together in the stables!"

"It is like you wanted it, isn't it?" Smiling, Yazoo laid sprawled out on the bed, watching underneath heavy eyelids as his favored toy walked around the room, touching everything reverently. Yazoo stretched like a cat, enjoying the sunlight from the open window. Like Sephiroth, he found amusement in giving the toys what they wanted, at least as long as it didn't cost him anything. "These are your rooms now."

His mind already walking down new paths, Reeve smiled absentmindedly, hoping the Jenovan - and Jenova herself - would mistake his quickly beating heart for excitement and not the fear that it was. Rufus' schemes were coming together. It had begun.

But right now in this workshop of his dreams and with the most sensual and beautiful lover he'd ever had, Reeve had trouble remembering just why he'd joined with ShinRa at all.

He stopped opening random crates filled with equipment, tools and chemicals he'd never be able to afford on his own, like a child on Christmas Eve and turned back to Yazoo.

"You've given me everything I've ever wanted." He said slowly.

Yazoo's smile turned feral.

"Then it is time for you to give me what I want." He beckoned a long finger at the inventor.

"Of course, love. Let me just put these things in order…."

"Now." It was a snapping command, as much an order as anything Sephiroth had given, and Jenova's power behind it made Reeve drop the fragile glass containers he held. They smashed to the floor, but there were no sign of remorse in Yazoo's eyes. The object had no value to him and the fact that they did to Reeve was of no concern to him.

Forcing a smile, Reeve went over to the bed where Yazoo was once more all sensual motion and soft lips and it was so damn *easy* to forget what he really was. Who he really was.

When Reeve laid down over him, kissing him, and his blood started running hot - because who's wouldn't? - the inventor's last coherent thought was another vow of fealty to ShinRa and the realization _You can give me everything I want, Yazoo, except the love and freedom to enjoy it _.

The sparring and the sex was equally feral and they both enjoyed it as much. Tifa blocked a punch, retaliated with a kick that could have taken down a stone wall and was rewarded with a grunt in return. It thrilled her immensely, the way she never needed to hold back with anything around Loz; he didn't just like it when she went full out, he encouraged it. Sometimes provoked her just to get that response, in bed and out of it. For a girl who'd grown up in a remote village and had to curb in both her physical strength and skill and her sexual appetites this had been almost daunting at first, but she'd risen to the challenge, like she always did.

Of course at the end of the day she never really could harm Loz or any of the Jenovans in combat, she simply wasn't good enough. No one was. It didn't bother her that much; she had a physical and sexual freedom here that she'd never experienced before.

Of course, at the end of the day she was more than just a body. And no one here gave a damn about her heart or her mind, most certainly not Loz and his brothers. Her body was free; her heart was trapped. She'd learned everything she could from Loz but he would not let her go as long as she amused him. She had to rise to the challenge of breaking herself free.

Over Loz shoulder, she glanced over at Barret, come to watch them spar. They both nodded. It was beginning.

It was nice, but that was about it. It was obvious that Cloud didn't share this sentiment, though; the half-dressed youngster was blushing and moaning and from the way his pants were tenting he had a very good time indeed, almost melting under Sephiroth's touch. And that was the problem. There were no spark, no playfulness, no initiative back. Zack would have grabbed handfuls of silver hair, pulled his lord against him, would have pushed away the robe and run strong fingers down a pale back, would have shoved his tongue down Sephiroth's throat - it had taken the silver haired lord months to teach the eager puppy to kiss without half choking but it had been delightful work - would have done something, damn it, and not just sat there waiting for something to happen to him. Waiting eagerly, for sure, but waiting none the less. Zack had never been that shy, not even the first time. Zack had risen to the challenge and surpassed. Zack had…

Zack. That might be the answer to his dilemma. Pulling back a bit, Sephiroth glanced over Cloud's shoulder. As usually, Zack wasn't far away from his lord; this time he was oiling up a practice sword at the other end of the great hall. All it took was a quick meeting of eyes, and the black-haired young man came running over with his easy grin that somehow made Sephiroth's heart speed up the way his scantily dressed youngster in his lap couldn't.

"Zack. I've heard you've started to teach Cloud swordplay?" The Silver lord's smile grew a bit wicked as Zack and Cloud both nodded. "Good. Then I will require you to be his teacher in this to."

The blonde youngster blushed even harder, but Zack just chuckled and leaned forward, pulling Cloud into a tender, if rather drooly, kiss. Cloud's initial sound of protest quickly died away as he submitted to the clever mouth and hands that started roaming his chest, his flanks.

Oh yes. Oh yes, this was much better. Seeing the two wild haired youngsters tousle for domination in his lap, controlling them both by a simple touch on their necks or pushes at the back….Cloud's fingers dug red groves in Zack's back, Zack's hands started moving down towards Cloud's belt.

A flare of jealousy shot through Sephiroth - his or Mother's he couldn't be sure.

Sephiroth grabbed Zack's hand, almost crushing it, making the toy hiss with pain and both of them look up.

"Keep your hands above his waist, puppy. Just because I let you play with him doesn't make him any less mine."

"Sorry!" Zack gasped in pain and Sephiroth relented a little. He loosened his grip but didn't let go. Instead he darted a pink tongue over the digits, sucking in the thumb in his mouth. Zack's eyes started to get hazy with more than pain and Cloud's eyes got big with fear and arousal.

"We'll continue your training later," Sephiroth almost growled as he pulled Zack into his lap, pushing the blonde away. "Leave us now."

Cloud didn't know if he was relieved or not as he darted from the room.

The palace was fucking huge and Reno had only seen a fraction of it. Still it was obvious that these must be the Jenovan's private areas; they were even more sumptuous and luxurious than the others. If he'd wanted to steal anything, Reno could have filled his pockets just by taking a few decorate pieces of art or smashed a hall mirror for the diamonds surrounding them. But what was the use of valuables here? Inside the palace he could get almost anything he wanted, if he just did what Kadaj wanted him to. And outside the palace….well, he wasn't going there until he found Rude. So he just noted a few of the more easily disposed of goods and made a mental note of them for when that day came.

Huge doors - portals almost - opened in front of him and he was left staring stunned at the marvel inside. Mako crystals - bigger than he'd ever seen - glowed in bright abundance around a larger than life statue of a naked creature hovering above an altar. 'Creature' was the only word Reno could think of for the monstrous being; even though the stone cutter had made obvious attempts to make it more human, the only way he could even see it was female was due to the boobs. Of which there were three. And one of them seemed to have an eye on them. Even with the tits he wasn't certain it was supposed to be female - there were tentacles everywhere, for fuck's sake!

Appalled and morbidly fascinated at the same time, he started moving towards it.

"No, you damn idiot!" Something small and blonde came rushing out of the shadows, knocking him over before he could reach the threshold.

"What the fucking hell, Cloud?!" He screamed, pushing the person away. But it wasn't Cloud. An angry but distinctly female face glared at him. "Who the fuck are you?"

"I am the fuck Elena and you are a fucking moron!" She swore back at him, not the least intimidated. "You can't go in there! Don't you know what that is?"

"A fuckin freakshow?!" Reno yelled in pain as something seemed to invade his mind, ripping at it with claws. And it was inside him. Inside his mind. Like it was raping his mind and torturing it at the same time. "Make it stop, make it stop!"

"It is the Goddess, you idiot." Elena scrambled away from him, pity and fear shining in her eyes. "I can't do shit about it."

"I can." From behind them, Kadaj stepped up, insane smile shining on his face. Elena quickly got to her feet and made a deep curtsey, but Reno couldn't do anything but convolute on the floor. "Mother, please. He is my toy. I wanted to break him in."

One last spasm of pain and he was free, panting and sobbing of the fucking floor and no way to even get up on his own. Kadaj gave Elena an annoyed glance and she physically recoiled.

"Don't you have cleaning to do somewhere?"

"Yes, my lord, I need access to the temple to…."

"Fine, fine." Kadja waved a hand and went to pick Reno up; for such a small body he was hideously strong. "Mother will let you in. Make sure you don't get detergent in her eyes this time. It stings."

Elena picked up buckets of water, soap and brushes and hurried into the temple; the statues eyes seemed to glow for a second but then they accepted the presence.

"That thing is…fucking alive?!" Reno gasped as he hung from Kadaj's arms.

"That is Mother." There was more reverence in those three words than anything Reno had ever heard before. "This is Her temple. This is where all her power emanates. In there she can do anything!"

"Except fucking move." Reno stared at the monster. Was it possible? The four brothers were alien, but they were humanoid and damn sexy. This thing was…a thing.

The youngster shot him an angry glance and for a second Reno feared he might let Mother take over again.

"Her mind can go anywhere. But her body is immobile." The slim shoulders sank and Reno realized the brat had never been able to touch his mommy, had never felt any kind of physical contact from her at all. Then Kadaj squared his shoulders and smiled that cracked, insane smile. "She doesn't needed it though. She has us." He started half leading, half carrying Reno away from the temple and the red-head was glad to go.

He didn't want to think about what it would be like to have that kind of tentacle parasite riding around in your head. No wonder they were all broken inside.

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Ai no Kusabi reference! :icontarddanceplz. Get used to more of 'em Gods, I love Iason and Ricki….

"I just feel like….I'm failing somehow." Cloud lowered his sword and sighed.

"What? That's just stupid." Zack frowned, lowering his own sword. They'd been practicing in the court yard again, but this time the blonde's heart hadn't been in it.

"Maybe if I was a bit more experienced, you know. But I don't even know what he wants me to do!" Blushing, Cloud turned away. "You know. Except the few things I've figured out on my own."

Curbing the bubble of laughter on the virgin's behalf, Zack felt a pang of pity. Cloud looked so down; he honestly wanted to please and who was Zack to argue with that? Stepping over, Zack put a hand on his shoulder but Cloud didn't look up.

"He wants me in his room tonight," he whispered, clenching his fists.

"He's not going to hurt you, you know. Calm down." Catching Cloud in a hug, Zack stroke the tense back. "You're gonna like it, I know it."

"But I'm going to disappoint him. Again." Pressing against Zack's chest, Cloud whispered.  
"Can't you…teach me? Just…a few things?"

Zack sighed.

"I can't do that."

"Yes you can! You are his favorite, you know what he likes! I'm not asking you to…take my virginity or anything. Just…show me what he likes. For his sake?"

Looking down, Zack met sincere, frightened but determined eyes and he felt his resolve slip away. The chocobo stables would be empty at this time of day. Biting his lips, he nodded.

"Alright, come with me…."

"And how is your pet coming along?" Sephiroth asked, rather cruelly. In the hall used as a living room, all four Jenovans were gathered for once; Yazoo reading, Loz drinking some wine and Mother's two favorites playing a game of pool underneath the huge crystal lamp.

Kadaj pouted, angry at being baited and even more for being told 'I told you so'. But none of them could outright lie, and anyway Mother saw all. She'd tell Big Brother if he asked because Sephiroth was her favorite. Sometimes Kadaj hated her.

He quickly curbed in that thought and answered the question.

"He won't cooperate at all. He tried to enter Mother's temple today. It is getting frustrating." he shot the ivory ball over the pool table, missing because he was too upset to focus.

"I warned you he'd be too much for you to handle." Sephiroth's smile was smug and suddenly Kadaj hated *him* as well. An evil, wicked idea formed in his head. He pouted prettily, leaning his head over to one side as if submitting to Big Brothers superiority and then shot his own barb.

"You are right. You've done so well with your pets. Maybe I can lend Zack from you while you play with Cloud?"

Sephiroth jerked as if he'd been slapped and his eyes grew ice cold.

"No." He said coldly.

Yazoo and Loz, picking up the sudden tension hurried to say:

"You can borrow Reeve if you want, Kadaj."

"Or Tifa."

"I don't want your stupid bland pets!" Kadaj screamed at them, all pretence dropping and he turned back to Sephiroth, dripping venom. "Why not Zack? Isn't he just another pet? You can't value him over your own brother!" He yelled, safe in the knowledge that Mother might not love him the best, but she'd never let a simple *human* be above him, and she would punish Sephiroth if he tried and she might love *him* the best after that because she'd see that Kadaj was her most loyal son and….

Loz and Yazoo fled the room as Sephiroth's last cue ball was hit with such force and precisions that it bounced off the curbed wall, smashing into the glass chandelier and spraying the room with glittering shards of lethal glass. Kadaj screamed and crouched, covering his face with his arms as the projectiles bounced off his leather, cutting up any exposed skin it could find, red blood from a million tiny wounds splattering all around him.

And Mother did nothing.

Heavy boots approached him as he sat bleeding and sobbing under the glittering rain.

"You are a fool. A childish fool. And you will not touch Zack."

The boots moved away, leaving Kadaj on the floor, hating them all; Reno and Sephiroth and Mother and the whole world. But Zack most of all.

Sephiroth stalked out of the hall, anger crackling like lightning around him. How dared that child question him! What was his was his simply because he wanted it that way. Mother knew that. Mother understood all about possessiveness. Zack was Sephiroth's for as long as he desired him and there were nothing anyone could ever do to stop that.

The sheer audacity of being questioned made the Silver lord snarl. He had plans to meet Cloud tonight, but that would be fatal to the youngster. And Zack...he had no desire to expose Zack to this wrath. But he needed an outlet and that left the one person in the entire palace strong enough to take on the Silver lord in this mood.

The moment his door was kicked in, Genesis was on his feet, sword in hand. A wall of fire leapt towards Sephiroth, who brushed it aside with a single stroke, although the explosions hidden in that fire made him stagger back half a step. Genesis was a cruel, gifted opponent and Sephiroth's mood made him careless. He barged through the fire with little to no subtlety at all, Masamune striking sparks against stone walls and cleaving through furniture like an apocalypse. But the russet man didn't cower; he snarled, leaping forward to meet the lord head on and Sephiroth almost smiled. Yes, this was what he needed, a worthy enough opponent to beat into submission and a gorgeous enough body to ravish once he'd done so.

Genesis must have guessed his intentions, because the blue eyes flared, not in anger or fear but challenge. He would not submit freely; he'd fight back with equal amounts of desire.

They were one and the same at heart, for all that Sephiroth was cold and calculating and Genesis rash and passionate. If the power scales ever tipped, then Genesis wouldn't hesitate to ravish the lord instead.

But the scales showed no signs of tipping this day; Sephiroth slammed the fiery rapier from Genesis' hand but caught an uppercut straight to his face that split his lip, spraying pale skin and silver hair with blood. Growling in pain and desire he tackled the russet man against the wall, so hard the stones cracked; snarling he bit into the soft neck like a lion on its prey. But Genesis was no prey and no victim; he was already shoving leather aside, clawing pale skin red in the process as their violent coupling destroyed whatever was left of the room.

The firestorm and sheer power exploding out from Genesis tower was visible all over the palace but for Rufus it was more than that; since Jenova had afflicted him with geostigma for defying Kadaj, he'd been utterly sensitive to her presence. And now all of the Goddess' attention was aimed at that particular tower.

Tseng and Rufus exchanged a glance, and Shinra nodded. This was their chance.

It would require some time to get all the pieces of their plan together; Tseng hurried through the palace, ignoring curious stares. He might die doing this, in fact, he probably would. But that didn't matter, all that mattered was that Genesis would be able to hold the Goddess' and the Silver lord's attention long enough that he could...

"Tseng!" It was a Jenovan command; Tseng snapped around and sunk to his knees before he could even consider stopping himself.

Kadaj walked down the corridor, dry blood covering him although whatever wounds had caused them was already healed. But the youngest Jenovan's whole demeanor spoke of madness that couldn't be contained.

"My lord?" Tseng's heart beat so fast now; what had happened to the lord? Was this the cause of Sephiroth's sudden return to Genesis? And most importantly; would he, Tseng, die for his betrayal before he had a chance to execute it?

With wanton cruelty, Kadaj grabbed a handful of jet black hair and pulled back so hard Tseng got tears in his eyes, but his treacherous body suddenly pounded with desire; Kadaj might be the runt of the litter, but he had as much power over Tseng's desire as anyone of them. Green eyes flared and Tseng tried not to whimper.

"Get Rufus to my room. Now." Kadaj snarled.

Tseng felt their chance for vengeance slip through his hands and frustration hit him; all for this angry, horny young man! But relief quickly replaced it; the Goddess didn't know. Rufus sensitivity had been enough to keep their plans secret. Then another, more personal fear engulfed him.

"My lord," Licking his lips, Tseng tried to find the words. His skull still burned where Kadaj's fingers were buried to the roots of his hair. "Rufus is..." _vulnerable_"...is badly afflicted by his punishment. He is not as beautiful as he once were. Maybe I can serve in his stead..." Tseng leaned down, rubbing his cheek against Kadaj's leg, darting his tongue over the black boot.

Kadaj stared down at him, green eyes flickering wrath and insanity. If Rufus was left alone with him, he wouldn't survive. Not because Kadaj would go out of his way to hurt or maim him, but because Kadaj was far too gone to even notice the pain he would inflict. And with Rufus gone, there would be no chance of vengeance. He was their one chance. The only one clever enough, ruthless enough, sensitive enough.  
And Tseng loved him.

He rubbed his cheek against a leather clad thigh, up against the hard shaft in the crotch, daring a lick over the pale, flat belly. There were no bellybutton and it made the wutai man shudder.

The grip in his hair grew harder and he was forced to look up. The madness was still there, but somewhat mollified by his submission.

"Get Rufus," Kadaj purred. "You will both be in my rooms in a quarter of an hour or I'll hang you from the castle wall."

"This is your fault." Tseng's voice was toneless but quivering with anger as he looked down on the bandaged man in the bed. The grip he had around Reno's arm was hard enough to bruise.

Staring down at Rufus, Reno felt a bit queasy; the blonde man wasn't showing much in the way of damage, but his geostigma was dripping black pools around his wounds and he was clearly exhausted, pale faced and breathing shallowly. Tseng on the other hand had multiple bruises marring his copper skin and moved with tell-tale stiffness, but that didn't seem to bother him. It was Rufus he was angry for.

"If you'd gone to Kadaj's bed, this would have not happened. Don't you realize what you've done? If I – if we lose Rufus we lose everything!"

Reno wasn't feeling too good himself after Jenova's attack and he lashed out.

"So now what? You're telling me to whore out to the freak and save your precious boss, or you won't tell me where Rude is?!"

Tseng's eyes were as cold as Kadaj's had ever been.

"Yes," he started, but a weak voice from the bed interrupted him.

"Rude is in the kitchen. He's working as a chef. Go to him." Rufus wheezed.

For a second, Reno just stared. Then he twisted out of Tseng's grip and bolted out the room.

TBC - next ch, things really start going to Hell


	8. Chapter 8

Reno's memories from his previous explorations of the castle served him well; he ran flat out down stairs and through corridors withouth even hesitating, taking the shortest possible rout to the kitchen. Heat from the ovens and delicous scents from cooking started wafting towards him. Rude was here. Rude was here was here was here...Reno's heart beat so hard there were tears in his eyes. He should have known, should have recognized the food, the special taste of Rude's delicous cooking. rude had probably expected him to and sent him a subtle message, letting Reno know he hadn't been abandoned and hoping Reno would find him. But Reno had been too caught up in fear and intrigues and fucking aliens to pay attention. Maybe if he'd been nicer to Cissney, she would have told him, or Elena. Yeah, he'd screwed up, but everything would be alright now. Everything would be alright when he and Rude was back together, even if it meant he owed Rufus some.

The kitchen was just ahead, golden light spilling out into the corridor. Reno rushed for the light in the end of his tunnel.

And stopped in the doorway as if he'd run into a glasswall.

Rude was there. Reno would know that broad back and shining bald head and sweet smell of warm skin anywhere, even from behind as now and even though Rude was dressed in a white chef's apron. But he wasn't alone, and it wasn't a turkey he was stuffing. Yazoo's long pale legs were wrapped around Rude's waist, hands around his neck as he pulled Rude's face towards the Jenovan's.

Rude complied, with mouth and hips. Reno's heart stopped for a moment.

Then big hands grabbed him from behind and pulled him firmly but not harshly against another broad chest.

"Bet you forgot about us." Loz chuckled in his ear, his breath cool and smelling of mint. "People tend to do that." Reno didn't struggle as the sideburns tickled against his cheek; his eyes were still fixed on Rude who were still kept too busy by Yazoo to notice what was going on. A strong hand - almosst like Rude's, slipped under his shirt, over his chest. "As if Mother doesn't love us. As if she doesn't speak to us as well." Sharp teeth started to nibble his neck. "I mostly fuck girls. But you are pretty enough that I might make an exception."

Reno closed his eyes, although it couldn't shut out the betrayal. Loz' hands were everywhere, just like Rude's on Yazoo's. It would be so easy and vengeful and angry to do this against Rude. It might even fill up that lonely feeling inside of him.

But he couldn't. He just couldn't.

"Kadaj would kill you." Reno's voice felt as dead as his heart but the effect on Loz was instant; he let go. Stumbling, Reno hurried along the darkness, away from the kitchen, to find a quiet place to throw up.

This was better, this was much better, Sephiroth mused as Cloud climbed up into his lap. The lights were low in the sumptous room, the wine and dinner had ben excellent. The young man was half-naked and eager, and if he still was a bit coy at least he wasn't intimidated. Sephiroth's heart sped up on delicous arousal as Cloud put his hand's down his pants, touching him just so. That was it, this was the way he liked it, that touch, that stroke...in fact, it was exactly as he liked it.

"Who taught you that?" Sephiroth grabbed Cloud's hand, crushing hard, his eyes narrow with fury. "Who was it?!"

"I...I…" Cloud didn't know what to answer; he'd thought he'd done everything right, how come it all went wrong now?

"It was Zack." Pushing him off his lap, Sephiroth rose. The cold fury made him appear even taller, even deadlier but his eyes was fixed somewhere far away over Cloud's prone body. "Yes, Mother. I most certainly will!" Growling, he snatched his sword, stalking from the room in a halo of cold, dark rage.

The palace fled for its life; guards, gifts and nobles alike ran in blind panic as their lord, half naked and lethal stalked down the corridors, the Goddess presence like a silver halo around him. He didn't even appear to see them, but experience told of more than one person skewered for daring to interfere with the lord's wrath. They didn't know what was wrong, but no one dared being caught in even the periphery of fury.

Angeal's sword was heavy and cumbersome; Zack had been training with it all day and his muscles burned pleasantly, a nice sweat all worked up. He was too busy concentrating on his movement to notice the fleeing people but some sort of instinct made catch the presence of mortal danger and he turned in time to get the sword up.

"My lord?!" He gasped, trying to hold up against the extreme strength behind Masamune's strike. Cold dread seized him; the lord's eyes were cold and vacant with wrath. He knew that look; Jenova was looking out behind Sephiroth's eyes.

Sephiroth didn't answer; he pulled back Masamune and struck again, and again, faster and faster, pushing Zack back with each lightning quick, bone-jarringly hard strike. Zack was good, but he was nowhere near good enough; the katana slipped by his guard again and again, slicing him to ribbons. He fought desperately, but uselessly; Angeal's sword was struck from his hand and he wasn't quick enough to dodge.

Zack screamed as the long sword skewered him, through his chest and out the back and again as he was lifted up,held like a butterfly on a pin.

"I told you. I told all. You were not to touch him." Sephiroth's voice was tight with wrath. "You dare defy me?"

"Sephi..roth…" Zack's voice wa no more than a gurgle. "I..love…"

"Silence!" For less than a moment, something glittered in the lord's eyes, then it was gone. With a flick of his wrist, he flung Zack's body from the sword to slam into a nearby building. It collapsed in a pile, unmoving. Cold eyes stared down on him. "No one will defy the Goddess. No one will defy me."

And with that he turned around and walked away, leaving Zack to bleed to death in the training yard.

"Get out." Sephiroth threw the bloody sword on his bed, staring at it withouth a glance at Cloud.

"What…" Cloud stared at the blood, at the emotions twisting the lord's face.

"I am not in the mood. Get out!" A snarl and furious eyes turned towards him. Cloud fled.

Kadaj hissed with wrath as he stepped into his rooms; wine was spilled all over luxurious carpets, sticky and smelly, clothes -not his own- were strewn haphazardly over fine furniture. And in the big, sumptous bed laid a naked body, knocked out on alcohol and snoring and drooling all over satin sheets. When he slammed the door shut, Reno looked up, bleary eyed and glared at him.

"It's you." He said, drunk and depressed. "Fine. Great. Fuck me. Get it over with."

Reptile eyes stared at him as if they'd rather kill him. Then the Jenovan sighed and flopped down next to him.

"I'm not in the mood."

It was Reno's turn to stare.

"Not in the mood? Not in the fucking mood?! What the fuck do you mean?!"

Kadaj curled up like a featus, knees to his chest and arms over his head.

"You hate me. Everyone hates me. Why can't anyone love me?!" The last question was screamed from the very bottom of his heart and Reno, drunk as he was, shunned back. "I hate you all! Sephiroth even loves Zack more than me! He wont let me have him! He wont let me kill him!" Insane, heartbroken eyes stared up at Reno's horrified ones. "I just want someone to love me. And I just want to kill Zack. Is that so bad?"

What the Hell did you answer to that? Reno didn't know Zack much, the guy mostly hung out with Sephiroth and Reno avoided the realm's lord at all costs. Still...killing him just like that? Alcohol or not, Reno's blood felt cold.

"Sephiroth should have killed him today. But he didn't. Even though Zack didn't obey him." Kadaj sniffed, like a petulant child. "It even made Mother angry! And she still loved Sephiroth the best, even though *he* didn't obey *her*! And she won't let me kill Zack. Even though he might die anyway" He started crying again, at the injustice of it all.

"So...don't kill him." Reno scrambled for words. "Just...I dont' know. Mess him up a bit. Make him ugly. Cut of his hair or something. That ought to push him down a few pegs."

Kadaj's tears stopped. With a small yelp he threw himself around Reno's neck. Insane, childish giggles wrecked his body.

"You are right! You are right! That's what I'll do! You do love me!" Smooth cheeks and plump lips rubbed against Reno who was frightened to the core. This...broken child...was too unpredictable and lethal. He just wanted to get away. But Kadaj had other plans. He smiled wickedly up at Reno, starting to rub up against him.

"You love me, hm? You want me. You can take me. I've never let a toy do that before." He panted.

Reno almost freaked. He'd rather fuck a snake.

Alcohol saved him.

"Sorry kid." He mumbled, stroking the lithe back. "Too drunk. Can't get it up."

Kadaj pouted a bit but didn't argue. Instead he snyuggled upu to his toy like a teddy bear and fell asleep.

Reno didn't dare close his eyes all night.

It was tearing him up inside. Pacing the confines of his luxurious rooms, Sephiroth still couldn't loo away from the sword were the blood dried slowly as the hours past and night became darker. Zack ha defied him. He'd deserved the punishment and wrath. Mother had demanded it and Sephiroth agreed; his words were not to be ignored. Not ever. Not by anyone.

Then why did he feel like this? Hurting Zack had felt like hurting himself; he was bleeding on the inside. The image of Zack's shocked, pale face, blood foaming about his mouth haunted him. He'd laid so still. So still.

If Zack died, Sephiroth realized, there was a very true possibility that he himself might die to. His heart was already aching dangerously. If Zack died…it might cease to beat at all. And somehow, he'd want it to.

Leaving the sword he hurried for the infirmary.


	9. Chapter 9

The sickbay was a place, run by a very competent woman called Aerith. It was a necessary place; cuts, bruises and scrapes were common but there were also the Jenovans' pets who tended to get various hurts from their masters.

"He is alive. Through no help of yours, my lord." Aerith gave a disapproving glance as the lord walked in and he felt like killing her.

But if Zack was to live, she was his best hope. He curbed the instinct, somewhat aided by the fact that Masamune was still in his room. Instead he just grunted, unable to trust his voice. Aerith led him to a quiet, private room where she left him to stare down at the crippled form of Zack, heavily bandaged and sedated.

Sephiroth didn't know how to feel when he watched the chest raise and fall.

He should be angry with Zack. He should feel this punishment being fair for so blatantly opposing his lord's command. He could feel those emotions hovering at the edge of his soul; Mother's feelings.

But he couldn't feel that way.

He felt awful; he felt as if his heart was the one that had been run though. His eyes itched; maybe a reaction to the chemicals in the room? They were watering to. Suddenly he gasped as if an iron fist closed around his chest; Mother trying to impose her will, her feelings on him like she hadn't done since he was a child. She'd always trusted him since then, safe that she had moulded him inot her image.  
"No. No!" Snarling, Sephiroth struggled for control of his own soul. "I will not let you do this. I will not let you harm him again!"

Zack had said he loved him. Sephiroth took a limp hand in his, every motion a battle of will.

"Zack…I love you to."

And Mother's bond snapped.

The snap of the broken bond tore like a whiplash through the Jenovans. Loz and Yazoo fell to their knees, retching and clutching their heads. Kadaj screamed.

In the garden, Rufus suddenly fell over, wracked with pain as Geostigma flared all over his body.

"Shenshan!" Tseng sprang forwards, but Rufus pushed him away.

"Go, Tseng, go!" Glazed with pain, blue eyes stared determined up at Tseng. "Something is falling apart, something huge. We must use this!"

Tseng hesitated over the shaking body for a moment, but turned and ran. He must find Tifa, Genesis, Reeve. And Cloud.

Yazoo stumbled into Reeve's rooms at the base of the tower, scattering his pet's cats. The room was filled with gadgets and metal scrap and with unusual lack of grace the Jenovan stumbled of the assembled stuff, bruising his knees and scraping his palms. Mother's rage and feared roared through him along with the incomprehensible loss of Sephiroth's mental bond. He was lost and disoriented and scared and he needed to see Reeve. To have some stable point, somewhere to catch up mentally.

Damn all these boxes and gadgets! He stubbed his toe, feeling like he should vomit. All was wrong. In a fit of rage he threw a case of fragile glass beakers across the room and saw the shatter. He'd spoiled Reeve too much; this clutter had to be cleared, the machines were filthy and useless and always exploding anyway. Driven almost insane with despair and loss and anguish, Yazoo picked up a steel rod and stumbled towards the huge hulking machine in the corner of the room, Reeve's latest creation. He'd smash it to pieces and….

Too late Yazoo realized that the machine was running, it's pressure gauges almost filled to the max, the whole thing vibrating. Right next to one of the castles main support pillars, because Reeve had claimed he needed to be on ground level with his machines…

Yazoo dropped the rod and turned to run.

He wasn't fast enough.

The whole castle shook, shivered and walls started to fall over and crumble, roofs falling in. People – pets and nobles and Jenovans– fled for their lives. Yazoo's death scream echoed through the royal family; Loz screamed to. The loss of two brothers in such a short time was impossible to bear; he wandered lost and sick, not knowing where to go or what to do. In his head, Mother chattered insanely and he couldn't shut her out. He never could and her madness added to his.

Loz stumbled into the still-standing but deserted throne room. Kadaj. He must find his one remaining brother.

Someone was standing in the throne room and he almost missed her with his eyes misted over with tears. He avoided Tifa's fist in the last second.

Snarling he backed off. He didn't have time for sparring now!

"Go away!"

She didn't. Instead she sunk down in a fighter's stance, gloves on.

Annoying! Frustrating! She couldn't beat him now and he didn't want her around, not now. He'd kill her if she tried to stop him. He sprang for her and Tifa slid away as smoothly as a panther.

A door opened with a bang and Loz turned, dodging a flaming rapier that none the less tore up his cheek. Genesis! He would be a challenge, especially with Tifa here as well. Another door and Barret came in, crossbow cocked. Another door. Angeal, huge sword in hand.

Loz was unarmed, alone and driven half insane. They killed him, eventually.

Kadaj felt Sephiroth leave. He felt Yazoo's quick and horrible death and Loz' prolonged but no less horrible one. He felt Mother's desperation and gibbering fear. He felt *everything* and he didn't care. Giggling he dragged Masamune behind him, the razor sharp sword slicing up the flagstones. Reno was right. Reno was a *good* pet, no matter what Sephirothsaid. Reno had helped Kadaj understand what he needed to do.

"Oh Zaaaaaaack," he sing-songed under his breath, untouchable by the chaos outside and inside. "I'm coming to fiiiiiind you!"

He headed for the sickbay, dragging the cumbersome sword along.

TBC


	10. Chapter 10

Reno felt the room shake. He didn't give a shit. Hung over and depressed and lonely in Kadaj's huge bed he stared at the crumbling walls, taking some perverse, twisted pleasure in his oncoming demise. The Jenovan's had taken Rude from him and so he no longer gave a shit about Kadaj, lord Sephiroth, Cloud or Tseng or the castle or anything. He had worked so hard to keep those twisted maniacs from him and Rude had….had just betrayed him for one of those silver freaks.

The door opened. Someone stepped into the room. Reno didn't care enough to look up.

"Reno. Reno?" The dark voice, the familiar voice, Rude's voice. It made him want to sob, but he wasn't one for crying. He forced the emotions to become anger instead.

"Fuck off!" he snarled, twisting in the bed.

"Reno, we need to get out. Now. It is all falling to pieces. Not just the castle." A warm hand grabbed his shoulder and he cringed away from it.

"Yeah, to fucking pieces! You know what they did to me – what they tried to do to me – and you just….just… *fuck* them first chance you get! Well, now you can fuck *off* because I don't want you here!"

He felt Rude go silent, the way he did when he needed to gather up enough words to explain something critical. Rude hated emotions almost as much as Reno reveled in them, and he hated talking about them. If he was forced to do so, he would make sure to do it in as few words as possible.

"I know what they didn't do to you." He said softly. "Because they did it on me instead."

Reno froze. Rude had….Tseng had said: _sometimes they share_.

"But they….in the throne room. They didn't want you." He looked up. Rude's face was blurry, but Reno didn't cry. Did he?

"I made them want me. More than they wanted you. It was…all I could do for you. Partner." Rude's eyes were soft and brown and he still held Reno's shoulder.

Reno threw himself in his arms and it felt so good and warm and perfect, like his life clicking back together.

"I'm so fucking sorry, I didn't mean to…."

"Shut up. It's not your fault. It's not my fault. It's their fault." Rude held him close, so close that Reno's lanky body almost creaked.

"I'm gonna kill them! I'm gonna kill them all!"

"Better hurry up then. Not many of them left. Just Kadaj and…and the lord Sephiroth."

"Wha'?" Reno wiped his eyes, and damned with not crying, and looked up at Rude's evil smile.

"It has begun, Reno."

"Go in there. Do it now, or we're all lost." Tseng tried to urge the young man into the throne room, but Cloud hesitated. He'd seen what had happened to Reno when he tried to enter.

"Do it yourself!" He tried to wriggle out of the dark haired man's grip.

"I can't." Tseng held him still. "Only those with permission from the Goddess may enter. And the Jenovans."

"But I don't have a permission!"

Tseng sighed and let go of his arm. He looked down on the small, blonde but surprisingly strong man.

"You don't need one. You are one of them. A Jenovan. Or at least some of their blood runs in your veins. Enough to protect you." *Hopefully.* he added quietly. "You must do this. To save us all. Destroy them once and for all."

"What?! Are you mad?" Cloud froze. "I am not…one of them."

"Not entirely. But…enough to enter the temple. Enough to place this –" Tseng very carefully held forward one of Reeve's concuctions "- at the….the stature. We will destroy it, and Jenova along with it. Please. I don't' have time to explain." The castle shuddered around them, pieces falling off the roof. But mere burial would not stop Jenova, Tseng knew. She must be destroyed, thoroughly.

Cloud hesitated, looking from Tseng to the immobile statue, to the castle around him. His eyes might not be green, but they shone none the less. And, to Tseng's horror, they shone more and more for every second.

"You are mad." Cloud said slowly, his voice taking on the rich, deep sound of a true Jenovan. "Mad. I will not harm her. I will not let you harm Mother!"

Tseng didn't stand a chance as Cloud threw himself forward, knocking him to the ground. Tseng was taller, but Cloud was freakily strong, Jenova's strength and madness siphoning into the nearest likely vessel now that Loz and Yazoo was dead. *Oh he was likely alright, Rufus, a likely candidate….just too likely! Too much of a Jenovan!* Fingers shut around his windpipe and the world was going red around the edges and….

Something hard hit the back of Cloud's head and he slumped forward unconscious.

"Woha. That felt pretty good." Reno stared down, holding a length of led pipe.

"Yeah. Too bad it wasn't one of the real ones." Rude nodded.

They helped Tseng out from underneath the man and he got shakingly to his feet, trying to collect his thoughts.

"Take Cloud out of here if you can. He's not a real Jenovan; as soon as she is gone he'll be free. Or if you can't, then lock him somewhere until the castles falls over him. He can't interrupt us again." Tseng took a few deep breaths.

"Who died and made you our boss…" Reno started snarling, but Rude just nodded and hoisted up the limp body. Together the three of them hurried for a way out of the falling castle.

But Tseng was left and jenova's power was still strong here. He couldn't enter the temple withouth risking blinding pain, perhaps death. He took a deep breath and a step forward, but a hand on his arm stopped him.

"No Tseng." Rufus said gently and took the bomb with stigma spotted hands. "I will do it."

"But, sir…"

"Jenova infused me with her cells to maim and hurt me." He rubbed at his blind eye. "Let's use that against her." And with that he stepped into the temple. Jenova's scream of terror was almost audible.

The world was falling down around Sephiroth, metaphorically and literally. He had been forced to leave the sickbay by the sheer destruction going on; his kingdom falling apart. His castle was crumbling, his people were fleeing…all was coming to an end. Had he caused this, by rejecting Mother? But what about Kadaj, Loz, Yazoo? He no longer felt their bonds since he shut out Mother.

Turning away Mother was one thing, but Sephroth was not about to let his kingdom fall without a fight. Zack should be safe in the sickbay; it lay away from the destruction and it was sturdy enough. Much as it pained him to be away from his love, he needed to assess the situation and save what he could. Perhaps even his brothers.

He found Yazoo's torn off head in a pile of mortar and stone; the long silverstrands were all that could be used to identify it. A strange cold feeling washed over the lord and it took him awhile to identify it as sadness. His brothers might have been mad, but so had he. He had loved them in his own way.

Loz's body was torn to pieces on what was left of the throneroom floor but couldn't be mistaken for anyone else. With a sigh, Sephiroth petted the short strands of hair for a second before continuing. He needed to find Kadaj's body to before he could leave this place. He felt cold and tired and lonely, wishing he was back at Zack's side where he could have cried for his lost family. But not now. Not yet. He needed to be Lord Sephiroth for a little while more before he could release that burden.

"You will be fine." Aerith hummed gently, tucking in Zack after changing the bandages. "A few more days and you'll be back up on your feet…"

She slumped forward, bent double of the bed almost more by surprise than pain as the long sword stabbed out of her midriff. She slid almost gently off the razor sharp blade and slumped to floor, dead before her head hit the tiles. Groggy with pain and painkillers, Zack struggled to understand what was happening as a pale, silver face appeared in his vision, grinning down at him and holding the bloody Masamune.

"Se…sephiroth?" he mumbled, dazed.

"You are his pet. His *special* little pet. I can't make him not want you. Mother wouldn't let me. But - " Kadaj giggled, not even listening to the bed-ridden man. "- I can make *you* not want *him*!"

He raised the bloody sword, and Zack started screaming.

Rufus could feel Jenova trying to stop him. He could feel mental tentacles sliding desperately over his body, looking for purchase, looking for a way to stop him. His Geostigma flared in agonizing pain, but he was too used to that to stop. Her cells hurt him, but also made him almost family. He could be hurt, but he couldn't be stopped. He pressed on.

Tseng was somewhere behind him, on the floor, writing in agony, but Rufus couldn't let that stop him now. Nothing could stop him now. He limped up to the statue/ enstoned body of the Goddess and, almost gently, placed the small device around her neck. Sand started to fall down, one every second, and Rufus could feel Jenova's panic, her desperate search for the only way of moving she had, her sons. No one came.

Torturously slowly, Rufus started to drag himself out of the throne room, pulling Tseng along.

"Hello Brother. I have a gift for you." Sephiroth spun around as he heard Kadaj's voice behind him. The voice that usually cracked with insanity along the edges, was now completely engulfed in it. Despite his broken bonds, Sephiroth could feel Jenova trying to close a grip on the boy's mind, but slipping uselessly off the twirling madness. He almost took a step back. Insanity was not a way he would have chosen to break free.

"We need to get out of here, before the rest of the castle falls." Sephiroth didn't quit know what to do with this brother; he was deep in the dungeons now, looking for Kadaj's body. He was vaguely disappointed the boy was alive at all; it complicated things.

"A gift. You will thank me." Kadaj held Masamune in one hand, but the sword was too big to pose any kind of threat in the boy's small hands. He dropped it on the floor and held out something else, in a pale, bloody hand. The castle shook around them, stones and mortar falling down.

It took a few seconds for Sephiroth to realize what Kadaj held; Zack's cutt off testicles.

TBC (the next chapter will be the last in this series)


	11. Chapter 11 - The End

There was so much pain; it was everywhere. Pain and death; dead bodies and blood and it almost made Zack vomit as he struggled, almost crawled through the castle. People, faces and voices ran by – Angeal and Genesis, Tifa and Barret with Denzel and Marlene, Reno and Rude carrying an unconscious Cloud, Tseng and Rufus curled up together in a corner and it was uncertain if they were alive or not, Kunsel wailing in soulless agony over the remnants of Yazoo's body, Cissney plundering Loz' dead body.

Some of them tried to talk to him, some grabbed his arm and tried to get him to leave the castle, gibbering something about an explosion coming. Zack didn't hear and didn't care. He needed to find Sephiroth and that was all.

He knew where to go without thinking; inch by inch he dragged himself towards his love.

Kadaj was fast and he was lithe but even so he shouldn't have stood a chance against Sephiroth, not ordinarily. But this day was anything but ordinary. Grief and horror had driven the lord almost as insane as his surviving brother; he couldn't think or plan but threw himself mindlessly after the fleeing silver specter, roaring in denial as he tore through walls and stone to get at Kadaj who just led him on, on and on, and Sephiroth couldn't even gather enough wits to wonder where his brother was fleeing.

They tore through the remains of the castles room, smashing everything in their path until *something* hit Sephiroth with so much force he toppled over, crawling into a fetus position. With eyes watery with pain he looked up and the insane, cheerful face of Kadaj grinning down o him from the safe haven of their Mother-statues cold marble embrace.

"You are not one of us anymore." Kadaj said in his sing-song voice. "Mother likes me the best now! You are just another human and so she can…hurt you. And she will!" He laughed in cracked glee, slinging to the statue with loving arms.

Snarling Sephiroth tried to get up, but the pain tripled, ten folded, and he fell over again.

"I'm her favorite now." Kadaja cooed. "Just me. No one else. We'll rule together now!"

"Seph?" The voice was low and hoarse and yet it was enough to make Sephiroth twist around. Blood ran freely from his nose, mouth, ears and eyes and he had to blink it away to see. The broken form of his lover stood leaning heavily on the temple-rooms door posts.

"Zack? Don't…come in here!" Sephiroth almost panicked at the thought of Zack once more in Kadaj's and Jenova's hands.

But Zack didn't listen. The wound in his shoulder where Sephiroth had pierced him was dripping blood and his pants crotch was covered in it. Not enough for it to be killing or even lethal wounds, but enough for him to be in excruciating pain. The dark-haired man flinched as he stepped inside and Jenova got her torturing mental claws in him, but he didn't stop. Nothing could stop him now. Crawling he reached out for Sephiroth, almost fainting as the lord reached out to embrace him. "There's something around Jenova's neck….they said something about a bomb…" he managed to mumble.

"Now you will stay. You will all stay here forever!" Kadaj crooned as the heavy steel door started to shut close, trapping them inside with the psycho, the dark goddess, the bomb.

Sephiroth saw. As in quick pictured without connection he saw. The bomb placed around Jenova's neck. Kadaj's triumphant glee. Zack's pained face. The last few sand falling down the ticking bomb.

He grabbed Zack – who was heavier than one could think – and threw him with all his might out the door. Behind him, Kadaj screetched in rage and in front of him Zack howled in denial and somewhere inside Jenova slithered but Sephiroth denied them all. He jumped, threw himself at the rapidly closing doors and the salvation outside.

The doors boomed shut.

"Sephiroth? Seph! You did it! You saved us…." Zack's voice died down as he hoisted the lord up in his arms. From beneath the knee, Sephiroth's long legs had been cut off by the doors. Blood was gushing out and he was paler than ever, losing what little colour he'd ever had quickly. But the eyes burned bright and steady and there was a soft smile on his lips.

"I saved you. Run, Zack. The bomb will go off any second. It will destroy whatever is left. "

"I won't leave you." Zack knew he was crying but he was smiling as well. "I will never leave you again."

"Then it was all…in vain?" Sephiroth leaned against him.

"No. We get to share one last kiss." Crying, smiling, free Zack leaned forward and pressed their lips together.

And the bomb tore their world apart.

Epilogue

There were so many spirits leaving for the Lifestream that day that it was impossible to be certain how many, even less who, had died. Cloud sat a bit away watching the slow green spirits melt and blend, feeling too much and too empty at the same time. The castle was just a heap of rubble now. No one who was inside could have survived.

Those who had fled stood around, slowly melting into separate little groups; Angeal and Genesis crying and laughing and holding one another so close it was as if they never wanted to let go, Tifa and Barret and the kids looking wide-eyes and terrified, Rufus and Tseng who had somehow made it out with the help of Elena and Reeve. A hand landed on Cloud's shoulder and he tried to look up.

"Hey." Reno's voice was surprisingly soft. "You alright there, kid?"

"No." Cloud sighed. "Is anyone of us alright? Will we ever be alright?"

"Better than if we had stayed." Rude rumbled on the other side of him.

Cloud just shook his head. He thought about the rooms of art, the fine clothes, food, hot bath, Zack's smiles and Sephiroth's gentle hands. He thought about the wanton cruelty and insanity and kidnappings.

"Yes, I suppose so. Did they all….did they all die?"

"Too many died." Rufus sighed from a bit away. With the death of Jenova, geostigma was running from his body but it would take a long time before he was healed properly. "Cissney, Kunsel, Zack….all the Jenovans, we hope."

"What will you do now?" Cloud asked. He never wanted to do anything himself. He just wanted to lay down and turn to grass. Behind them Angeal and Genesis was already moving away, and Tifa and Barret was helping the kids up on chocoboes. They needed to reach the nearest village before nightfall for the kids' sake.

"Dunno." Reno shrugged, sitting down beside him and lighting a cig. "Me and Rude might take up with Rufus for a while. He seems like the kind of guy who has an ace up his sleeve. Don't think he's planning on sitting around watching rubble for long. Reeve and Elena is coming to."

"You can join us if you will." Rufus reached out a hand, smiling behind his bandages. "We can always use someone with your fighting skills."

Cloud thought about it. Then he reached out and took the offered hand and the two helped to pull one another up on their feet. Slowly the tiny group made their way into the coming day.

Epilogue 2

Three days after the destruction, something moved in the rubble. A small, bloody hand reached out trembling to push away pieces of stone and then a lithe body followed, so covered in dust and grime and blood it was almost impossible to tell that it had once been beautiful and pale and silverhaired. But the smile showed white, broken teeth and the green eyes shone with even more insanity as he crawled over the treacherous ruin, dragging something behind it.

"See, Mother?" Kadaj said hoarsely as he dragged himself along, one hand at the time. "I told you we'd get out. I told you I'd save us." He sat down and pulled the severed head into his lap, cradling it hard. "It's just you and me now, Mother. Just you and me."

The severed head said nothing, but it hadn't done so for days, not since Kadaj cut of off to save it from the bomb, protecting it with his own body. But no matter. She would talk soon enough. To him. Only to him. Loving only him forever and forever.

Sitting on his broken home and the remnants of his dead brothers, Kadaj smiled at the rising sun, holding Mother's head tight. The future was looking bright indeed.


End file.
